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Why Memphis Should Be at the Top of your List

If you’re ready for your EP Fellowship to really change your life (and your area code), Memphis, TN should be at the top of your list. Here, there are incredible opportunities to lead and learn -- and local leaders are eager to support new talent.

Most of our Memphis-based Pioneers are brand-new to the city, so if you’re taking the leap to Memphis (aka the BBQ Capital of the World, aka the Birthplace of Rock n’ Roll, aka the Home of the Blues), you’re not alone.

And there’s an entire campaign, Choose901, dedicated to showcasing why Memphis is the best place for you.

About Our Work in Memphis

Like the ancient Egyptian capital that is its namesake, Memphis is a proud, soulful city that sits along a mighty river. Educationally, the tide is turning here, with the River City becoming an epicenter of significant school reform.

Education Pioneers’ work in this region is primarily concentrated within the city limits of Memphis. (Fellows also collaborate with their peers in Nashville, just a few hours away.)

Especially ambitious changes are underway in the Memphis schools managed by the statewide Achievement School District, which pledges to drastically improve the performance of low-performing schools within the next five years.

With so much activity and collaboration between sectors on improving the city’s public schools, there is still plenty of room to make a difference here.

Impact

Education Pioneers has been working in Memphis since 2013 to supply local organizations with the talented people they need to achieve their goals.

14 partner organizations, including Achievement School District, Shelby County Public Schools, and City of Memphis Mayor’s Office.

EP Fellows in the Memphis area have worked on strategic projects that make a difference, including leading "Parent University" engagement programs for Shelby County Schools, optimizing financial processes for the Achievement School District, coordinating stakeholders interested in increasing achievement for young men of color for the Mayor's Office of the City of Memphis, and much more.

Several EP Alumni are contributing to the Memphis region’s education work, including 2014 Fellow Kenyatta Andrews, now Director of Operations at Campaign for School Equity, and 2015 Fellow Megan Weinstein, who is the Executive Director of Evaluation at ALLMemphis.